Travel Expense Reimbursement Policy

An addendum to GP 002 – Team Treasurer Handbook

This document is meant to provide guidance for Coaches and Team Treasurers as to reasonable expenses for which a Coach should be reimbursed by a Team.

It is meant as a default position. Each Team, in consultation with its Coach, may determine if these guidelines are right for their circumstances.

Sometimes the language may lead the reader to wonder about the purpose behind the document. It is not to disallow reasonable expenses nor is it to cause a financial burden on a Team. Over the years, there have been more and more gray areas and guidance in this form is meant to prevent disputes or misunderstandings, which otherwise may lead to unwanted friction within a Team. Unfortunately, there will be other issues that arise which are not defined herein. As a general guideline, the Coach and Team Treasurer should discuss travel plans before the fact. We do not participate in so many tournaments that dialogue between the Coach and Team Treasurer becomes bothersome and time-consuming. Ultimately, if no simple resolution is made, the Club Treasurer should be called upon to make a decision.

Expenses usually will involve three items: per diem (food, miscellaneous expenses AND/OR token compensation for time), automobile allowance (personal and rental) or airline tickets, and hotel costs, excluding charges for personal telephone, mini-bar and in-room movies or games. GSA guidelines will be used on case-by-case disagreements.

Expenses may be incurred and reimbursed for travel to and from “tournaments,” but not scrimmages (unless agreed between Coach and Team Treasurer) or League games. All State Cup championship or post-seeding games are “tournaments,” regardless of venue, even if held at Sports Park. Pleasanton RAGE College Showcase is a “tournament.” Tournaments may be local (within easy driving distance), local with an overnight stay (for the convenience of the Coach or the Team) and non-local (for which most, if not all, players have an overnight stay).

Technical Staff and Head Coaches will be reimbursed for mileage up to 800 miles per trip at a rate of $0.535 per mile or at the current rate set by GSA Federal Travel Guidelines. If the trip exceeds 400 miles one way, coach airfare and car rental will be reimbursed, if chosen. If the Trainer or Coach prefers automobile travel, the maximum reimbursed by the Team(s) will be 800 miles times $0.535, or $428.The Coach will be reimbursed for mileage from his/her residence or from the RAGE office, whichever is the LESSER distance, unless the Coach began travel from the RAGE office.  A Coach who has several games at several distant venues may ask for travel reimbursement between sites from the Club. Receipts whenever practical must be submitted to Team Treasurers or the Club Treasurer. Assistant Coaches or Technical Staff will be reimbursed, but approval must be given, in advance, by the Technical Director. An Assistant Coach acting as Head Coach will be reimbursed.

“Per diem” is a term most widely recognized as compensation for meals and incidental expenses when on a business trip. The Federal Travel Guidelines set forth approximations for reimbursement for three meals a day, as well as incidental expenses. We recognize that Coaches who travel to tournaments are taking time from their lives, families and even regular jobs. Coaches, as distinct from “Staff” coaches, are independent contractors and NOT employees of the Club. It is their responsibility to attend tournaments whenever possible and reasonable as agreed with Teams. Their contracts provide payment for training sessions, for attending League games and tournaments. The number and venue of tournaments is, in part, determined by discussion between Coaches and Teams and, therefore, may be a variable among all the Teams of the Club. Our use of a per diem is to acknowledge the efforts of the Coaches who attend tournaments. At this time, a per diem of $15 is suggested to be paid from the Team to the Coach for local (Bay Area) tournament (games-playing) day(s) expenses and time. Overnight per diem is suggested at $50 per game playing day. A Coach need not submit a request for a per diem or for the entire amount, if she/he does not feel it is appropriate or after consultation with a Team Treasurer or Team Manager. For instance, a Coach likely should forego a significant portion (about half) of the per diem if invited to attend a Team bonding dinner. If more than one coach and/or Technical Director or Technical Trainer dine together and the team coach does not actually pay his/her share of the bill, reimbursement sought from the teams MUST take into account that the per diem needs to reflect the cost of that meal. For instance, if the Technical Director pays for dinner for a coach and submits a request for reimbursement, the Club Treasurer must be able to apportion the cost of that dinner to teams. The coach’s team will be charged by the Club Treasurer for that meal. The coach must then deduct the cost of that meal from her/his per diem. If a rental car is shared, those sharing the car MUST apportion the cost of the car when submitting the cost to their teams. Coaches should reserve hotel rooms of the same approximate cost as those of the typical family at a tournament. The Club will not tolerate the submission of falsified expense reimbursement requests. 

Given the variance of costs throughout the United States, the Club may determine different amounts for the suggested per diem later this year or at some other time in the future. Such amount will recognize, but not necessarily match, the published Federal Travel Guidelines. Some non-local tournaments may require a Coach to depart for the destination well before evening. In such a case, a reasonable dinner expense ($15 would be a suggestion) should be reimbursed by the Team in lieu of a per diem as no tournament game is played on that day.

Local Tournament

• In the Bay Area
• Within an hour’s drive of the Coach’s residence, or from the RAGE office, whichever is the lesser distance.
• May be one day event or take place over more than one day

Local Tournament with Overnight Stay

• In the Bay Area
• Single or multiple-day event
• Early game (8 AM or earlier) which the Coach deems early enough to require a hotel
• If the Team chooses the option or requirement of having a hotel, for Team-building, for instance
• Logistics for the Coach dictate
• If the Coach is involved with more than one Team, with less than all Teams participating over more than one day, the Teams involved in multiple-day games will be charged on a pro rata basis for hotel for that previous night in question
• Because this may be contentious, the Coach should initiate conversation with the Team Treasurer(s) or Team Manager(s) before the event

Non-local Tournaments

• Over one-hour drive for the Coach from his/her residence, or from the RAGE office, whichever is the lesser distance.
• An event at which the Team has decided that the Team should stay in a hotel
• An event at which a bonding event is to take place, but no hotel is required for the Team, but a return the following morning for play occurs

Overnight(s) stay may be reimbursed for the night prior to play, but not for the night when play is completed, unless it is too complicated to vacate the room given airline schedules or uncertainty as to conclusion of the event for the team. For instance, if a tournament game is scheduled for 3 PM, and the winning of the game would result in a playoff the following day, the Coach might reasonably assume that she/he might (rather than, would) require the room for another night. Also, if a tournament is distant and game schedules call for a late game, then flight schedules may preclude leaving a hotel at a reasonable hour. It is at the discretion of the Coach to take a “red-eye” flight or not. In case of a post-tournament-day departure, the Coach should receive compensation for breakfast from the Team instead of a per diem. Often, hotels which have been booked for tournaments will be flexible in check-out times and management should be contacted for their regulations by the Coach in an effort to save the Team money, if possible.

Teams must recognize that the Technical Director, Philippe Blin, or someone designated by him, may choose to attend a tournament. If he does so, any and all Teams represented at the tournament will be charged for his expenses on an equal share basis. The Team does not have any discretion in whether the Technical Director attends an event.

Questions may be directed to Ross Stonesifer, Treasurer, PGSA at
(925) 523-3640.

This policy was adopted on 1/27/05 and replaces the policy titled “Travel Expense Reimbursement Policy for authorized travel expenses for Coaches/Trainers” which was also an attachment to GP-002 – Team Treasurer Handbook adopted 7/21/03.

Adopted 1/27/05
Amended 7/19/2007
Amended 08/24/2008
Amended 05/12/10
Amended 06/07/10
Amended 1/11/12
Amended 12/18/13
Amended 2/23/16
Amended 1/18/17